Building Name
694-696 Madison Avenue
Architect
J.H. Valentine
Year(s) Built
1878-79
Designation
Upper East Side Historic District
Project Information:
Two Neo-Grec style rowhouses designed by J.H. Valentine and constructed in 1878-1879. Application is for rear yard additions and structural changes, storefront infill replacement, new signage along Madison Avenue, new awnings at the storefront and upper floor windows, and a façade restoration.
CB8 Hearing: 12/16/24
LPC Hearing:
FRIENDS' Testimony:
FRIENDS appreciates when tenants invest in their historic buildings, especially when the building is part of a lovely ensemble of 19th-century rowhouses that have been kept and altered in similar ways. Therefore, we can support the proposal that would clean, restore, repaint the existing building, replace its windows to match the existing dimensions, and restore the second-floor cornice. We can also support the storefront infill.
However, we object to the placement of white awnings with logos on every window of these rowhouses. FRIENDS Preservation Committee does not believe the store needs additional branding, as its name is already prominently displayed with a 14-inch white logo installed on the gray stone spandrel. The proposed awnings would significantly overwhelm these two buildings and detract from the character of the entire row, especially when they are fully extended. Additionally, we question the face-lit logo and ask the commissioners to have the client study the impact of such illumination on the façade's visual integrity.
LPC Hearing: